Dear Honourable Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario, the Honourable Doug Downey, Attorney General, the Honourable Paul Calandra, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, and the Honourable Andrea Khanjin, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, Halton MPPs, Halton Local Municipalities, Michael Kraljevic, Chair of Ontario Land,

Help Us Stop Development of Multi-million Dollar Houses on Greenspace

We are appealing to you to save critical parks and open greenspace in Burlington, currently operating as the Millcroft Golf Course. This area is vital greenspace in our city that has a greenspace shortage and is already more than meeting the Provinces housing goals.  The Ontario Land Tribunal has set a very dangerous precedent in the Burlington Community and throughout Ontario to rezone Major Parks and Open space to residential where 92 homes will infill on four of the existing golf holes. We need your decisive leadership to save this greenspace for our community and continue to show Ontarians that your government cares about greenspace , similar to how you reversed development of the Greenbelt.

The Millcroft golf course, which is completely embedded inside our community, was designed to provide three essential needs: to provide a home to our abundant Wildlife, to act as a Flood Management System for stormwater events, and to provide Environmental Open Space for the health of both our 10,000 Millcroft residents and neighbouring communities.

We strongly support the City of Burlington in its pursuit of having the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, through its zoning order framework process, to issue a Ministerial Zoning Order to maintain the zoning permissions for Areas A to D of the proposed development of the Millcroft Golf Course as they existed prior to the June 12, 2024 OLT decision;

We are in complete agreement with the following resolution that the City of Burlington unanimously passed which is as follows:

Whereas the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) has issued a recent decision and interim order to approve the redevelopment of parts of the Millcroft Golf Course by the Millcroft Greens Corporation on June 12, 2024; and

Whereas Burlington Council is not requesting interference with the OLT process or ruling; and

Whereas Burlington Council is requesting the Province issue a Ministerial Zoning Order as there is limited time to act to save this area before shovels are in the ground for development; and

Whereas planning staff will continue to proceed with finalizing the planning instruments in accordance with the interim OLT order until such time as we receive a decision from the province on the MZO request.

Whereas the parks and open space currently operating as the Millcroft Golf Course, is unique among golf courses, in that it is in an urban area, designed as a figure eight weaving among houses, functioning as natural storm water conveyance on a floodplain, and we know of no other golf course with these set of conditions; and

Whereas land use planning decision-making should always rest with local councils, professional and qualified staff, and the community, for maximum accountability, transparency, and democracy in adherence with applicable Official Plan documentation; and

Whereas in December 2022, following extensive community consultation, Burlington City Council unanimously declared opposition to the proposed residential development of the Millcroft Golf Course, particularly Areas A, B, C, and D of the development, and support in principle for the proposed residential development of Area E which is not on greenspace, and further brought these concerns to the attention of the OLT during the appeal hearing; and

Whereas Burlington City Council unanimously approved a resolution on September 26, 2023 requesting the province to issue a Ministerial Zoning Order to protect these lands from development, which it has the power to do at any time, to facilitate appropriate residential development in Area E and ensure the protection of the greenspace and natural areas from re-development of Areas A, B, C and D on the Millcroft Golf Course; and

Whereas Halton Regional Council unanimously approved a similar resolution on October 18, 2023 supporting the City of Burlington’s resolution for the Minister of
Municipal Affairs and Housing to protect the vital Millcroft Golf Course greenspace; and Whereas the City of Burlington has recently adopted its 2022-2026 Work Plan, “From Vision to Focus”, detailing specifically Focus Area 3 on protecting and improving the natural environment and taking action on climate change; and

Whereas the protection of existing greenspace within the City of Burlington is crucial for the municipality to provide opportunities for access to both public and private green space for current residents and future generations; and

Whereas the City of Burlington has an abundance of options for development to achieve provincially mandated growth targets towards accomplishing the province’s goal of 1.5 million new homes by 2031, and it is not required to sacrifice greenspace or build on critical floodplains to accommodate Burlington’s share of housing as referenced in the 2022 – 2026 Burlington’s Work Plan: From Vision to Focus, Focus Area 1 Designing and Delivering Complete Communities; and

Whereas a recent Burlington Staff Report found a deficit of urban greenspace of 104 hectares to accommodate planned population growth for 2051; and

Whereas the City of Burlington can accommodate its share of new housing units in provincial priority areas such as GO stations, aging retail plazas, select growth areas, and major transportation station areas such as Plains Road and Fairview Street corridors; and

Whereas these growth areas are built into the City’s Official Plan and will more than accommodate new housing growth for the municipality; and

Whereas the needs and interests of Burlington residents are captured in the City’s Official Plan in effect and as adopted by Council in 2022 to provide clarity and certainty about planned future housing development sites, and does not include any requirements or need to redevelop the Millcroft Golf Course;

We strongly support the City in its pursuit of having a provincial interest declared in Millcroft’s open space for posterity, to stop what will permanently and irreversibly destroy Burlington’s already limited green space.

We respectfully request the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, through its zoning order framework process, to issue a Ministerial Zoning Order to maintain the zoning permissions for Areas A to D of th proposed development of the Millcroft Golf Course as they existed prior to the June 12, 2024 OLT decision;

Sincerely,